Project Another Apollo Project

[Ripley]

...Perhaps it could be renamed to something like Extended Apollo for Orbiter?

Or perhaps one should read past the thread title...

 

[4throck]

... On my post I did mention that one should read beyond the title ....

I guess this exchange does stress that the title is the source of debate, not the add-on itself. It's a simple matter of communication: people will read the title and judge all content by it.
It's irrelevant for the current development stage, but it may matter upon release.
It's just my constructive opinion. :2cents:

 

[Hlynkacg]

Quick progress update just to let you guys know that this project is alive and well. Thing is that most of the work has been on stuff that happens behind the scenes and thus not conducive to screenshots.

Currently testing reentry dynamics.

ETA:
Once I have the parachutes working it will be possible to fly a complete mission from Launch to Splashdown and I will consider making an initial "Alpha" release.

 

[Dantassii]

An idea for alpha testing

If it's any help in getting something to alpha testing ASAP, you could think about an 'Apollo 7' type mission with just the CSM (no LM) or an 'Apollo 10' type mission (CSM + LM but no landing sites).

Just an idea.

Dantassii
'Real' Rocket Scientist

 

[Hlynkacg]

If it's any help in getting something to alpha testing ASAP, you could think about an 'Apollo 7' type mission with just the CSM (no LM) or an 'Apollo 10' type mission (CSM + LM but no landing sites).

Just an idea.

Dantassii
'Real' Rocket Scientist

An early version of my [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=5846"]LM is still floating around on Orbit-Hangar[/ame]. The AAPO LM is basically Spider with UMmu support.

I'm working on the aerodynamic models for both now and as soon I have something that's stable and does not produce insane results I'll consider a release. For instance, right now I'm having an issue with the parachutes causing rotation rather than dampening it.

An Alpha release would be "as is".

• CSM is a shell at the moment, no VC or sub-system modeling as yet but the basic structure is in place.
  
• LM is essentially complete, most of the work I have left is optimization and aesthetics.
  
• Launch scenarios currently use Sputnik's [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3388"]Velcro Rockets[/ame] addon rather than the .dll based Saturn that I plan to build.

 

[4throck]

If I may suggest, don't limit the CM to splashdowns. My personal take on this is a kind of alternate reality or historical recreation.
Perhaps by adding some airbags to soften the ground impact ?

 

[Hlynkacg]

If I may suggest, don't limit the CM to splashdowns. My personal take on this is a kind of alternate reality or historical recreation.
Perhaps by adding some airbags to soften the ground impact ?

Well at the moment there's nothing stopping you from landing on land. The "Oops you crashed" function is triggered by an impact of 10+ Gs, and with all three chutes deployed your landing shouldn't exceed 6.

My reentry testing is being performed from a 440 km circular orbit with an entry interface of 75 km. This allows me to use the historical flight data and telemetry logs of the Skylab return missions as a baseline and point of comparison.

With my current flight model I'm averaging 3 Gs on reentry followed by a pair of 4 - 6 G spikes when the stabilization drogues and main chutes deploy. Landing shock is also around 4 - 6 Gs, a little high but I blame ocean's lack of "Splashyness" in Orbiter. The main thing I'm having a problem with is tumbling at lower speeds, this is historically correct but the stabilization drogues are supposed to dampen it rather than exacerbate the problem. :compbash2:

As I said above, I consider the CSM to have "crashed" if a shock exceeds 10 Gs. (The historical impact rating of the Apollo astronaut couches)

Atmospheric break-up is triggered by deceleration due to drag of 16 Gs or greater along the +Z axis (facing the heat shield) or 1 G along any other axis.

 

[Hlynkacg]

A Teaser...

The full Apollo stack assembled using [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3388"]Velcro[/ame].

A while back I made a 3d model of the Saturn 5 as part of a school project. Issues with the aerodynamic model have been pissing me off so I decided to take a break and convert my old models into orbiter meshes and create Velcro configs for them.

The LM "Spider" is being caried as a payload of the CSM "Gumdrop".

---------- Post added at 10:19 ---------- Previous post was at 10:07 ----------

I'm also debating how best to implement the Launch Escape System. Should I add the LES's thrusters, propellant, and airfoils to the CM itself, or should I generate the LES as a separate vessel and attach the CM to it? I'm leaning towards option two at the moment simply because the CSM's callback functions are already crowded and folding the LES's code in would only make them moreso.

---------- Post added 04-27-13 at 07:13 ---------- Previous post was 04-26-13 at 10:19 ----------

LES works, parachutes still do not.

I ended up going with a hybrid method, the LES starts as a static mesh that is part of the CSM. Upon activation the mesh is deleted and a new LES class vessel is created which I attach to the CSM via the forward docking port.

From there I can simply undock (for normal jettison) or jettison the Service Module and tell the LES to hit the gas. (Abort)

 

[4throck]

Looks good. As long as it works, its OK :thumbup:
Couldn't care less if it's velcro, multistage or LUA

 

[Hlynkacg]

Had hoped for an alpha release yesterday but haven't gotten to work on AAPO as much as I'd like in the last few weeks.

AAPO CSM "Gumdrop" extracts AAPO LM "Spider" from it's launch fairing, I almost have the complete Apollo 9 mission modeled from launch to splash down and am still chugging along.

 

[Erkha]

wow, after learning to fly and dock I was ready for some missions past LEO, I tried NASSP but that was a bit too much. your addon seems to be exactly what I was looking for

 

[Hlynkacg]

Good news everyone! we're all going to die. I seem to have solved the tumbling problem.

AAPO CM "Gumdrop" drifts safely to the ground after a successful Launch Abort test. The launch vehicle is visible in the background.

 

[4throck]

Cool. The nicest thing about development is that it's just like having your own space program. You have to do many test launches :thumbup:!

 

[Hlynkacg]

I know I said that the meshes had been finalized but having solved the parachute issue I decided to reward myself by adding some additional details to the CM and animating the main hatch.

The overall vert/face count is actually lower than my earlier model's thanks to some aggressive optimization, and culling of non-visible faces.

---------- Post added at 17:09 ---------- Previous post was at 16:39 ----------

A working EVA hatch means working EVAs and a beauty shot of the new CSM.

 

[RacerX]

Looking good Hlynkacg. Very nice! :thumbup:

 

[Tycho]

Thanks for the update, Hlynkacg! Looking forward to an alpha release. Until then, good luck with the project. :thumbup:

 

[Hlynkacg]

A very early alpha release has been posted to orbit hangar.

See this thread here for download link, questions, and feedback.

 

[Hlynkacg]

I'll be uploading a new Alpha release within the next hour or two, in the mean time here is a work in Progress shot of the new panel mesh for the CSM's VC.

---------- Post added at 12:26 ---------- Previous post was at 07:51 ----------

Update now available for download.

[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=6101"]Apollo Application Project: Alpha Release[/ame]

---------- Post added 05-21-13 at 08:28 ---------- Previous post was 05-20-13 at 12:26 ----------

Panel switches have been populated, textures are still in work.

 

[Athena]

Looks damn nice. :thumbup:

EDIT: I'm sure you have a plan for putting something in the small "cargo bay" in the SM? If there is, what's gonna be inside that can be deployed?

 

[Hlynkacg]

Just a quick note on planned progress. The following is my current priority list...

• Complete updated CSM cockpit mesh / textures so I can get to work on subsystem modeling.
• Implement FADI and attitude control sub-system for both LM and CSM.
• Update LM cockpit code and mesh to CSM standard (I've learned a lot since I first started working on Spider's panels, I really should go back and address some of my rookie mistakes)
• First pass at subsystem modeling. Consumables, fuel / power management, etc...
• Impliment lethality! kill UMMUs if oxygen runs out, destroy vessel if G tolerances exceeded etc...

As I complete the above milestones I will reward myself by allowing myself to work on one of the following "Fun" items...

• DLL based Saturn 5
• Unmanned UCGO carrier (LM Truck)
• Apollo Command Module with Retro-pack and earth landing system. (Apollo Space-Station Lifeboat aka CRV)

---------- Post added at 11:10 ---------- Previous post was at 10:52 ----------

Looks damn nice. :thumbup:

EDIT: I'm sure you have a plan for putting something in the small "cargo bay" in the SM? If there is, what's gonna be inside that can be deployed?

It is currently possible to add UCGO cargoes to the SM's Bay by modifying the scenario file but the interface that would allow you to do anything with them (grapple, deploy, etc...) doesn't exist yet.

Eventually there will be two options available. The ability to transport UCGO cargoes or a static mesh representing the historical Apollo's Scientific Instrument package.